Flyknife cutter for extruded materials

Abstract

Apparatus (10) for repeatedly severing rubber and plastic material (T) at selected locations along a length thereof including a frame (15), an arbor (41) mounted on the frame carrying a knife blade (50) for rotation in a circular path, a guide for supporting the material to be severed in the path of rotation of the knife blade, a rotary actuator (56) for selectively intermittently driving the arbor for instituting rotation of the knife blade, and a cylinder assembly (90) for supplementing the driving of the arbor and for braking the arbor to a stop after the knife blade has severed the material.

I claim: 
     
       1. Apparatus for repeatedly severing rubber and plastic material at selected locations along a length thereof comprising, frame means, arbor means mounted on said frame means carrying a knife blade for rotation in a circular path, guide means for supporting the material to be severed in the path of rotation of said knife blade, means for selectively intermittently driving said arbor means for instituting rotation of said knife blade, and a single means for both supplementing the driving of said arbor means and for braking said arbor means to a stop after said knife blade has severed the material. 
     
     
       2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for selectively intermittently driving said arbor means includes rotary actuator means. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus according to claim 2, including one directional drive clutch means interposed between said rotary actuator means and said arbor means. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said rotary actuator means includes cylinder means for actuating shaft means connected to said clutch means. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus according to claim 1, including flywheel means nonrotatably attached to said arbor means, said knife blade being mounted on said flywheel means. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said frame means includes spaced, parallel support plates suspending said arbor means and partially enclosing said flywheel means. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus according to claim 6, including guard means substantially enclosing said flywheel means and said knife blade means. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guide means include a pair of bushings mounted in said frame means and having axial bore means therein for passing the material. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said guide bushings are in close axial proximity but spaced a sufficient distance to permit said knife blade to pass therebetween without contact engagement therewith. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for supplementing the driving of said arbor means and for braking said arbor means is cylinder means, the power stroke of said cylinder means supplementing the driving of said arbor means and the return stroke effecting braking of said arbor means. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said cylinder means operates on said arbor means through brake arm means attached to said arbor means. 
     
     
       12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said cylinder means has rod means carrying rod end means freely rotatably attached to said brake arm means on a pivot pin and has coupling means pivotally attached to cylinder mount means on said frame means. 
     
     
       13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said guide means, said arbor means and said cylinder means are substantially linearly aligned. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus according to claim 1, including first clutch means for selectively intermittently driving said arbor means and second clutch means preventing reverse rotation of said arbor means. 
     
     
       15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said second clutch means is a one directional drive clutch having one race thereof attached to said arbor means and the other race thereof attached to said frame means. 
     
     
       16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said first clutch means is a one directional drive clutch having an inner race attached to a rotary actuator and an outer race attached to transmission means, said transmission means being attached to said race of said second clutch means attached to said arbor means. 
     
     
       17. Apparatus for repeatedly severing rubber and plastic material at selected locations along a length thereof comprising, frame means, arbor means mounted on said frame means carrying a knife blade for rotation in a circular path, guide means for supporting the material to be severed in the path of rotation of said knife blade, means for selectively intermittently driving said arbor means for instituting rotation of said knife blade, and cylinder means opposing the rotation of said arbor means to conclude rotation of the arbor means after said knife blade has severed the material wherein said cylinder means drives said arbor means during a portion of each revolution thereof. 
     
     
       18. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said means for selectively intermittently driving said arbor means includes rotary actuator means operating through clutch means attached to said arbor means. 
     
     
       19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said rotary actuator means and said cylinder means sequentially drive said arbor means.